Brassiere



May 16, 1961 T. a. scHAuMER BRASSIERE Filed Dec. 22, 1958 a 2z z3 fINVEN TOR.

BY 2%@ M' TTQNEYS.

Z550 50mm/EQ BRASSIERE Tlleol Schanmer, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor toMunsingwear, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware FiledDec. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 782,176

2 Claims. (Cl. 12S-484) 1`his invention relates to brassieres, andparticularly to brassieres for women having large bust measurements orhaving pendulous breasts.

.A P .roviding an appropriate uplift for a larger woman has beenaccomplished previously. Wire structures have been provided, forexample, along the lower edges of the breast cups. Many women find theseconstructions irritating and annoying. In other instances, pads havebeen provided along the lower portion of the breast cups; but this, too,is desirable only for smaller women where the added bulk does notdetract from the appearance created.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved brassierestructure whereby appropriate uplifting support can be achieved withoutencountering the foregoing objections. To carry out this invention, useis made of soft, elastic, knitted stretch-yarn bands extending acrossthe lower portions of the cups and of a normal length such that they areflexed and stretched during use so that their resilience provides anappropriate uplifting support.

Another problem in brassieres of this character is that of providing theappearance of a normal separation at the center of the cups. It is notuncommon for women having large bust measurements to prefer cup sizesthat will produce a slight bulging at the margin of the cups. It is,accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an improvedbrassiere structure incorporating means at the center of the garment formaintaining separation or at least the appearance of separation.

"I'his invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objectswhich may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of oneembodiment of the invention. For this purpose, there is shown a form inthe drawings accompanying and forming a part of the presentspecification. This form will now be described in detail,-illustrating-the general principles of the invention; but it is to beunderstood that this detailed description is not to be taken in alimiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by theappended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a pictorial view of a brassiere incorporating the presentinvention, and in place upon the body of the wearer;

Fig. 2 is an inside View of the brassiere structure;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the plane indicated byline 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the plane indicated byline 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1 a brassiere structure 10 is illustrated. The brassiereincludes a pair of breast cups 11 and 12 connected to a center element9, a pair of body-encircling bands 13 and 14, and a pair of shoulderstraps 15 and 16.

The cups 11 and 12 are each made of three sections of material. The cup11, for example, includes two lateral sections 17 and 18; section 17 islocated adjacent the side of the wearer; and section 18 is locatedadjacent the center portion of the wearer. These cup sections can betent made of any appropriate material, such as broadcloth, cotton, satinor lace. The sections 17 and 18 are joined together by a third sectionof reinforcing material 19 that extends vertically throughout the heightof the cup, and passes over the cup apex. The section 19 furthermoreextends beyond the upper edges of the sections 17 and 18. The centralsection 19, as illustrated in Fig. 4, has lateral edges turned inwardlyand sewn respectively to the edges of the sections 17 and 1S. Doublelines of stitching 20 and 21 are provided for this purpose. Caught underthe respective lines of stitching 20 and 21 are inelastic reinforcingstraps 22 and 23 of fabric material which serve to transfer forces tothe corresponding strap in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The edges of cups 11 and 12, where they join member 9, are provided withappropriate gathers, as at 30 and 31, so that an appropriate conicalform for the cups is achieved.

At the bottom of the cup 11, a tape binding 24 is provided that is sewnby a double line of stitching 25 to the three sections 17, 18 and 19, aswell as to the straps 22 and 23. Binding material 26 is similarlyprovided along the upper edge of the cup 11.

The upper projecting end of the central section 19, as well as the endsof the straps 22 and 23 are returned to form a loop for purposes ofmounting a buckle 27 for the strap 16, said buckle serving as anadjustment means for the strap. The returned portion of the upper end ofthe central section 19 is fastened beneath the double line of stitching28.

The inner edges of the central sectons 18 of the respective cups 11 `and12 are overlapped and secured together by a double line of stitching 29.The member 9 overlies these abutting edges to form a space for avertical stay or bone 40. The manner in which this stay is held in thisspace Will be described hereinafter.

A unitary band 32 of soft, flexible material, such as elastic knittedstretch yarn, extends along the lower course of both cups 11 and 12 andalong the inner side thereof for purposes of achieving appropriateuplifting support for the body of the wearer. The central portion of theband 32 is caught by the spaced line of stitching 29 at the center ofthe garment. Oblique lines of stitching 33 secure the lower centralportions of the band 32 to the respective cups for purposes presently toappear. The band 32 may include alternate narrower bands of relativelytight and relatively loose knitting, the latter being indicated by theshaded strips.

The ends only of the band 32 are connected to the outer edges of therespective cups 11 and 12. One end, for example, is caught beneath thespaced lines of stitching 34 at the side of the cup 11 which provides anappropriate seam for the cup 11. Similar spaced lines of stitching 35 atthe outer edge of the opposite cup 12 are also provided.

Also fastened by the lines of stitching 34 and 35 are strips of material36 and 37 forming pockets to enclose stays 38 and 39, the stays ensuringthat the side edges of the cups are maintained appropriately in placeadjacent the underarm area of the body of the wearer.

The member 9 (see also Fig. 3) serves to define a pocket for the centralstay 40, and its side edges are caught beneath the central parallelspaced lines of stitching 29. This stay or bone may be made from aplurality of layers of thin steel or other resilient material.

The stay 40 has an intermediate bulge, as at 40a, which projectsoutwardly of the garment adjacent the upper area of the stay. The bulge40a provides a degree of lateral stability so that the stay 4l) as awhole is precluded from twisting or moving laterally. It is stabilizedby virtue of its bulge nested in the hollow area between the breasts Thebulge 40a maintains the appearance of separation.

even though esh may enter slightly beneath the stay bulge 40a.

The central parallel line of stitching 29 divides the band 32 into twooperative sections, one for each of the cups 11 and 12. The normal freelength of each section is substantially less than the length of thelower course of the corresponding cups when in place upon the body ofthe wearer. For this reason, each of the bands is stretched when thegarment is donned. A resilient force is created which provides acomfortable uplifting support at the bottom of each breast. The materialreadily conforms to the curved contours of the body, and the edges ofthe band 32 have no tendency to twist or curl. The lower edges of thecups 11 and. 12 are freed from strain, and they may easily be maintainedagainst the body without danger of riding upwardly.

The triangular or oblique lines ofv stitching 33 at the central area ofthe unitary band 32 prevent a large localized force from being exertedupon the lower ends of the lines of stitching 29, since the lower edgeof the band 32 tends to stretch more than the upper edge. Furthermore,the line of stitching 33 transfers the stress imposed upon the banddirectly to the cups 11 and 12 and a rm support is achieved. When thebody moves, the tendency of the band portions to pull the central areaof the garment in opposite directions is also substantially minimized,and the central portion of the garment stays adequately in place.

The body-encircling bands 13 and 14 are formed of material similar tothe band 32. Both are similarly constructed, and both stretchresiliently when placed upon the body. The width of the band 13., forexample, corresponds substantially to half the dimension of the sideedge of the cup 11. The band 13 is folded centrally of its length, as at42, and the ends of the band are located respectively along the upperand lower portions of the side edges of the cup 11. The ends are bothcaught by the lines of stitching 34. The end edges of the band have -acombined length substantially equal to the length of a correspondingside edge of the cup 11 or 12.

To secure the body-encircling bands 13 and 14, tabs 43 and 44 areprovided. The band 13 at its folded area mounts one tab 43. The othertab 44 is mounted similarly by the other band 14. The tab 43 mounts tworows of eyes 45, one of which may selectively be engaged by a series ofhooks 46 carried by the opposite tab 44.

The upper outer edges of the cups 11 and 12 in brassieres of thisgeneral character often tend to fall away from the body of the wearer,but the upper course of each of the bands 13 and 14, by virtue of theirplace of attachment and their resilience, maintains the side edges ofthe corresponding cups 11 and 12 adequately in position.

The shoulder straps 15 and 16 are appropriately attached to the garment.Each of the straps 16, for example, is of serially joined, two-partconstruction. One of the parts Vis a short section 47 of elasticmaterial. Its lower end is attached to the lower course of the band 13,as by a tack 48, and it is also attached, as by a tack 49, to the uppercourse of the band 13. The other part 50 of the shoulder strap 16 is ofinelastic material, and may be lined with velvet or other soft material.The part 50 is sewn at one end, as `at 51, to the upper end of theelastic portion 47, and its other end adjustably cooperates withthevbuckle 27.

By virtue of the central section 19 of the cup 11 and by virtue of thedouble lines of stitching 20 and 21, as well as the bindings 22 and 23,the weight imposed upon the cup 11 is effectively transferred to theshoulder strap 16 substantially uniformly throughout the height of thecup 11. A sagging appearance is thus avoided. The body-encircling bands13 and 14, by virtue of their resilience or elasticity, furthermorereadily maintain the lower course of the cups 11 and 12 in place.

The brassiere as a whole provide comfortable support for the womanhaving larger bust measurements andr it makes possible the creation of apleasant appearance, including the appearance of separation, withoutrequiring uncomfortable Wires or extra-heavy padding.

The inventor claims:

l. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; means joining the cupstogether at their inner edges; a stay extending vertically along thejoined edges of the cups, said stay having an outward bulge adjacent itsupperV end providingy lateral stability thereof by nesting in the hollowbetween` the breasts of the wearer; stays extending vertically at the(Ylateral or underarm areas of the cups; a band made at` least partly ofelastic material extending along the lower course of the hollow of eachcup and having a normal configuration such that it is longitudinallystretched'l when the brassiere is donned; each of the bands beingsecured` at its ends only at the inner and lateral edges of therespective cups, whereby there is a free band portion extendingsubstantially entirely across the lower portion of each cup;body-encircling bands for the cups; and a. paix'` of4 shoulder strapsfor the brassiere, each strap being secured to a body-encirclingband-and to a cup.

2. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; means-joining the cupstogether at their'inner edges; a stay extending vertically along thejoined edges of the cups; stays extending vertically at the lateral orunderarm areas of the cups; a band made at least partly of elasticmaterial extending along the lower course of each cup-and having a.normal conguration such that it is longitudinally stretched when thebrassiere is donned; each of the bands beingsecured 4only at the innerand lateral edges of the respective cups whereby there is a free bandportion extendingV substantially entirely acrossV the lower portion ofeach cup;k

body-encircling bands for the cups, said bands each comprising a unitarystructure foldedin the middle with both ends attached in verticallyspaced relationship along the lateral edge of the corresponding cup;cooperable detachable fastener elements secured to the respectivebodyencircling bands at their folded areas, and avpairv of shoulderstraps for the brassiere, each strap beingsecured v :to abody-encircling band and to a cup.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,239,056 Schiller ,Apr.- 22,1941 2,437,655 Rosner -s Mar. 9, 19482,462,987 Michaelson Mar. 1, 1949 2,481,373 Washburn Sept. 6, 1949v2,679,646 Cousins A June 1, 1954 2,857,916 Garson a Oct. 28, 19582,912,983 Horn Nov. 17, 1959

